The (Old) Form

The English translations on the MEXT scholarship application form are confusing at best- and sometimes downright misleading. I used to have two pages of correction bullet statements to copy/paste and send to applicants (most of which were about question 7).

One mistake on the form might force you to have to re-complete and re-send the form by expensive international express mail, depending on how your university handles it.

By following the question-by-question instructions in this article, you can be sure that your application form will clear review with no problem. So, let’s get started.

Basic Instructions

Type the application if at all possible. This isn’t only about clarity, but if you type every entry on a page, you can sometimes make corrections by email. If you handwrite any portion of a page, you will have to make all corrections by post.

If you must handwrite, use block (all capital) letters and black ball-point pen. Other colors are not considered official in Japan.

Use Arabic numerals (e.g. 1, 2, 3). Do not use any other type or write out numbers in text.

All years must be in AD (also called CE). This goes for any of your supporting documents, too! If your country uses a different year system (Buddhist, Muslim, Coptic, Japanese, etc), make sure you translate those into AD. (e.g. 2015)

Do not abbreviate proper nouns (e.g. cities, countries, school names.)

If you have to make corrections, it’s best to start over and recreate a clean form. But if that’s not possible, cross out the error with two horizontal lines through the text and write the correction above.

I highly recommend submitting two copies of the form: One printed double-sided, as per the instructions, and one printed single-sided. Having a single-sided version may just save you from having to resend the application by express post in case corrections become necessary!

Application for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarship – Page 1

1. Name in full in native language

This must match your passport (if written there) or birth certificate. You cannot leave out any names, such as patronymics, “bin” or “binti”, middle names, etc.

If your passport does not specify surname/family name and given names, then use your own discretion to separate them

If English is your native language/script, be sure to fill in this blank in English (block capitals!), even if the next line is identical!

If you can’t type your name in your native language in the form, try to insert it using other software or handwrite it after printing

Vietnamese applicants: Write your names in the order they appear on your passport, even though that means your “given” and “middle” names will be in the opposite spaces

In Roman block capitals

Same as above. Double-check your passport, especially if you’re from Russia or a former Soviet Republic – sometimes you have middle names that appear only in Cyrillic, so leave those out in the English section.

Sex

Straightforward- just don’t forget to check one!

Marital Status

Make sure to check this one, too.

2-1. Nationality

Enter the name of the country not the adjective. For example, write “USA” not “American.”If you have multiple nationalities, write the one for the country you live in/ the passport you will use when you enter Japan

2-2. Japanese Nationality

If you have multiple nationalities and one if Japanese, you are not eligible for the scholarship unless you revoke your Japanese nationality.

3. Date of Birth and age as of April 1 [of scholarship year]

For the month, day, and year, use all numbers- do not write out month names.

Age: About one quarter of applicants get this wrong! It is not your current age, but the age that you will be on April 1 of the year you start the scholarship. If your birthday falls between the date that you fill in the form and April 1, you need to add a year to your age.Note: In Japan, as in most Western countries, you are age 0 when born. If you come from a country that counts babies as age 1 at birth, you are going to need to convert.

Photograph

Please see the instructions in the supporting documents article for instructions regarding the photograph. Paste – do not staple – one photograph in the square given here.

4. Present status with the name of the university attended or employer

This one is also a constant source of confusion. You need to fill in two things here:

If you are currently enrolled in a university, write “Student at [university name]”

If you are not enrolled in a university and you are working full time, write: “[Job title] at [company name]”

If you are not enrolled in a university and not working full time, then your status is “Unemployed.”Note: “Recent Graduate,” “Fresh Graduate,” etc. are not acceptable statuses.

5. Present address, telephone/facsimilie number, and E-mail address.

Write your present address so that if I write that on an envelope and nothing else, the letter will reach you- that means you need everything from your room number up to your country nameNote: Be sure to write in English! (I used to get addresses in Chinese or people who write an overseas address in katakana – don’t do that!)Telephone (include the country code!) and email are straightforward. Don’t worry if you don’t have a fax machine- that’s not required.

6. Field of specialization studied in the past (Be as detailed and specific as possible)

The scholarship eligibility criteria require that your field of study in Japan match what you have studied before, so when you fill in this question, write your past studies in such a way as to sound as similar to your proposed field of study as possible.The biggest problem I saw with this field was leaving it blank. Don’t do that.

7. Academic Background (Page 2)

The academic background table only makes sense if you know how the Japanese education system works and exactly what they’re looking for.

Here’s what those confusing directions really want:

Primary Education, etc.

Japan’s education system follows a 6-3-3-4 pattern: Six years of elementary, three each of lower and upper middle, then four years of college.

Regardless of how schooling is broken up in your home country, you’re going to be expected to write it according to the Japanese pattern. It can be 6-2-4-4, 5-3-4-4, or any other pattern, but make sure you divide your schooling into each of the categories on the table- only the “graduate” row is optional.

That means that even if your elementary and middle school was the same school (or if your lower- and upper- middle school) was the same physical school, you should divide it up on the chart.

If you Attended Multiple Schools for One Row:

In the “name” field, write “multiple – see attachment” and attach a paper with an identical style table, but with rows only for the level of schooling you need to explain.

For example, if you attended two high schools, then your attachment would have two “high school” rows and nothing else.

On the attached paper, fill in each of the fields as explained below.

Back on the application form: Leave the “location” blank in the form (fill it in on the attached paper).

Complete the “from” field with the date you started your first school and “to” with the date you finished the last school.

The “Duration of Attendance” should be the total time for all schools attended for that row. Calculate each separately on the attached paper and then add them together here.

In the right-hand column, write that you transferred schools, and the reason. You should also fill in this same information in the attachment.

School Name

Remember, no abbreviating proper names.

Location

Write only the city and country name (still no abbreviations).

Year and Month of Entrance and Completion

The “From” date is the date that the school year started in your first year and the “To” date is the last day of the school year. These dates may not necessarily match the dates you were in class.

Check your transcript and your graduation certificates. If there are dates written on those certificates, then the dates in your form must match!

If you don’t know the exact dates, try to contact the school- most keep that sort of thing on record. In the worst case scenario and you can only find out the month, that should be enough, but fill in the 1st, middle, or last day of the month, whichever is closest.

Haven’t graduated yet? Fill in the month and day that you are scheduled to graduate. This date must match whatever is written on your certificate of expected graduation.

Years and Months

This field is the probably the most difficult to get right on the whole form.

“Years” should be school years. In Japan, the official school year starts on April 1 and ends on March 31 (even though class dates are different). So, in Japan, primary school is exactly 6 years, for example, and Monbukagakusho doesn’t understand any other system, so you should match this style.

If your school year starts in September and ends in June, like in the US, you should still count that as 1 school year when you fill in the table. So, if you started High School on September 1, 2010 and finished on June 30, 2014, that is 4 years and 0 months, not 3 years and 10 months.

“Months” is anything less than a full school year. If you finished a semester early, or a semester late, you would enter that in the “months” category.

Note: The number in “months” should be less than 12. I saw a lot of applicants write “4 years and 48 months.” Don’t do that.

When you add up the total time spent at the bottom of the table, note that there is no months category, so you’ll have to convert months to a decimal. So, 15 years 6 months becomes 15.5 years.

Diploma or Degree Awarded, Major Subject, Skipped Years/Levels

Most people won’t need to fill in anything in this field for Primary or Secondary.

If you skipped a grade, took a year off school, transferred schools, etc., then you should fill that in.

If you went to a specific science high school, or something like that, you could fill that in, too. But in most cases, it’s not necessary.

For the Undergraduate Level (and Graduate Level, if applicable), fill in your Major and Minor and the name of your degree.

Page 3 – The Hard Part is Over, Just a Few Tricks Left!

8. Publications

Only published works should go here. Books, journal articles, or conference presentations that were published in a conference summary publication are all OK.

9. Employment Record

This is one of the rare fields you can leave blank. It won’t hurt you if you do.

List only paid employment here (no unpaid internships) and be sure to begin with the most recent.

For the dates, be sure to write at least year and month (day, if possible).

10. Japanese Language Proficiency

It ismandatory to fill in each row, even if you have no ability. If you have no ability, check “Poor” (the Japanese header actually means “no ability”, so you’re not lying or inflating your ability, don’t worry).

11. Language Ability

Same as above, the first four rows are mandatory. The “fill in your own language” row at the bottom is the only one that can be left blank.

Yes, my university used to send back applications to be resubmitted (and in some cases, resent by post if there was any handwriting on the page) when these fields were empty.
I’m not saying that’s the right way to handle it (I don’t think it is), but be aware that some universities are going to be that strict!

12. Past Awarded Record

If you have received any form of Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship in the past, check yes and fill in the dates (year and month) as well as the university.

Remember from the Eligibility article that you must have at least three years of education and research activities between the end of your last MEXT scholarship and the start date of your new one. Some scholarship categories are exempt, so see the eligibility article for details.

Page 4 – The Signature Page: Make No Errors Here!

13. Accompanying Dependents

If you have a spouse or children that you want to bring with you to Japan, enter their information here.

The form itself, and Japanese universities, are going to advise you to come alone first to Japan and to invite your family later. This is so you can get settled on your own and find appropriate housing for your whole family (careful- it will be quite a bit more expensive than a single studio).

Another practical reason is that the Japanese university and MEXT are not going to help you at all with your family’s immigration paperwork, so you have to be in Japan to do all the Certificate of Eligibility paperwork for them, anyway.

Really, the only important thing about this field is that you cannot have the same person listed in both this field and the next one!

14. Person to be notified in applicant’s home country in case of an emergency

Basically, if you die in Japan, who should the university call to pick up your body and bring it home to your country?

I know that sounds morbid, but MEXT wants a point of contact that is that close to you.

The person should also meet the following criteria:

Must not be listed in the accompanying dependents question (13) above

Must have an email address and access to a phone

Should, if at all possible, have English or Japanese language ability

Be an immediate family member if possible

When I was reviewing these, any time an applicant wrote “friend,” “boyfriend/girlfriend,” “supervisor,” or anything other than a close family member, we would flag it for follow up. That means that until the applicant replied to explain why they hadn’t filled in a close family member, their application wasn’t getting reviewed.

If you cannot enter an immediate family member, you should briefly explain why in the “relationship to you” line (in addition to writing their relationship, of course!)

For example: “Only English-speaking family friend- will relay messages”, “Closest living relative”, “Only family member with email”, etc.

The only “optional” detail in this question is the fax number. Everything else, must be complete.

Be prepared to face scrutiny on the email address, in particular. If it is the same as your email address, or if it is blank, that will not be accepted.

Caution: Since this field is on the same page as your signature, if you have to make any changes, you will have to submit the whole thing again by post!

Immigration Records to Japan

You will need the exact dates as stamped in your passport.

In the purpose column, include both the type of visa/residence status and your reason for coming to Japan. (e.g. “Short Term Stay – tourism”)

If you are currently in Japan, for example, finishing up an undergraduate degree in Japan and graduating in March, fill in your projected date of departing Japan (within 2 weeks of graduation) and explain that in the Purpose column.

Last Thing: Date, Signature, and Name

Make sure you fill it in! You’ve come this far, don’t screw up your application by leaving this blank. (Yes, I’ve seen it done too many times to count).

Note that your name must be in all capital letters.

You’re Done!

Questions?

Before asking any questions in the comments below, please read through the MEXT Scholarship Application FAQ top page and specific FAQ pages to see what I’ve answered already and to find tips about how to get your questions answered faster.

You can ask your questions in the comments here, on the FAQ page, or by email and I will answer them by updating the FAQ and letting you know when the answers are available.

I’d also recommend signing up for my mailing list to get notified whenever I have updates to any of the FAQs or new articles about the MEXT scholarship!

222 Comments

Samira2019年2月4日

Hello, thank you very much for your great explanation !
Can you please to inform me about this two questions:
1- I am a muslim girl, can I applay with a Hijab ( veil) photo ?
2- I will applay for the Teacher Training students, can you give me an idea about the contents of exams?

Thank you for your kind words.
1- Yes, a head covering worn for religious reasons would be fine in the photo, as long as it does not completely cover your face. If you were able to wear it in your passport photo, then it should be acceptable in the MEXT scholarship application, as well.
2- I am afraid I have not done any research into the Teacher Training MEXT scholarship or created any resources specifically for that, so I do not know about the contents of the exams. Perhaps someone else can comment here and answer!

Hello… A friend of mine told me about this scholarship and they told her that the applications are still open for our country but currently I am overseas.

1. Is it possible to go the embassy in the country that I am right now, get the forms and apply?
2. When is due date for this scholarship? Does it depend country to country? Which site should I check for the due date of this scholarship?
2. Should I choose any 3 universities of my choice or does the scholarship has a list of universities to choose from?
Thank you for your help.

The Embassy Recommended MEXT scholarship application process is not accepting new applications in any country, at least not for the graduate level scholarship. The application process is still ongoing for those that submitted their applications back in May or June when they were due, though.

Your next opportunity to apply would be to apply for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship this fall (for studies starting in Fall 2019) or apply next spring at the Japanese Embassy in your country (for studies stating in Spring or Fall 2020).

If you do go down the embassy route, here are the answers to your questions:
1. You would have to get the forms and apply at the Japanese embassy in your country of citizenship.
2. It varies by embassy or consulate, but the deadline is typically between mid May and early June.
2 (again). You can choose from any universities in Japan that have programs that you are qualified for.

Hi Travis,
I just got an email from the embassy that I have been shortlisted for the test.
In the email they wrote “Kindly acknowledge this email, with your confirmation response.”
Can you please tell me what I should write in my email as a reply (I don’t want to make a bad impression)

If the internship was an extension of your academic program, you could write it in the remarks section of your previous degree in your academic history. If it was paid, you could include it in your work history. If you had any publications come out of it, you would mention it there.
Otherwise, you could refer to it in your Field of Study and Research Program Plan, if relevant, as well as your interview.

Hi,
Hope you will be fine. I have a problem , the deadline for Mext Scholarship is June 12, 2018 and i will send my documents tomorrow on June 12, 2018 by Tranzum Courier Services (TCS) but they will send it to Japan Embassy on June 13, 2018. So my documents will be accepted for Mext Scholarship or it will be rejected.
Please Help me i Need this Scholarship.
Thank you.

I can’t say for sure for your embassy, but as far as I know, all deadlines in Japan are “arrive by” deadlines. It doesn’t matter when the postmark is. If your documents arrive at the embassy after the deadline, I’m afraid they would not be accepted.

As far as I know, it is not possible to submit the MEXT application online.
If you are applying for the Embassy Recommended MEXT scholarship, you would need to follow the instructions form the Japanese embassy in your country to submit the application form and all required documents.

By the way, this is an outdated article. You can find the most recent version of the application form here.

You need to get the forms from the embassy where you will apply. Please contact them for the download links. The forms change slightly with every application, and the embassy may have additional documentation for you to complete, so it is important that you go to them directly.

Thank you for this informative guide. I have been recommended by the school to MEXT. But I have made one mistake in my form (that is my primary school education was started in 2001 and mistakenly I have written it as 2002) and now its almost late to communicate it with the school. Will it create any problem for me? Thanks in advance!!

At this point in the application, it should not be a problem. I would recommend that you contact the university and ask for their guidance, though.
There is no penalty for making a mistake in the form, only for deliberately false statements. Since that would extend your schooling history, it should not affect your eligibility in any way, either.

Hi,
Thanks for the elaborate article. Just need to know that in case, where my university name is bigger than the space allocated in the typed format, what should I do? It doesn’t give me an option to go to next line and doesn’t let me complete it either. Should I print the form and hand write it? Note: Everything else is typed!

I would recommend changing the font size in that particular cell and/or inserting a manual line break in the cell.
By the way, this article is from an older version on the application form. You can find the newest one here.

Hi Mr. Travis
Thanks for your generosity in spending such massive efforts
Regarding the application form
question number 15
I am going to apply for Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacy.
the question is The first course you plan to take in Japan?
4 options are available including non-regular course and a Doctoral course
which one suits my situation, I am confused since I have heard that there must be a period of training before starting my doctoral program. does that mean I should choose as a non-regular course student or doctorate student

another question is regarding my recommendation letter
My supervisor sent me a recommendation letter from overseas by post in an unopened envelope with stamp and signature on the envelope seal. However he said he just put original recommendation letter. According to guidelines, we should submit one original and 2 copies. the problem is that it is difficult for me to ask the supervisor to send me copies gain by post, because the first one has took a lot of time and effort to get it from overseas. what should i do to make 2 copies? what if I submitted the original one only

The last question is
I have read in the guidelines, it was written that doctorate applicants are required to confirm directly with the school of their choices before applying.
How can I confirm that? I want to know the strategy. Does that mean I should ask for pre-approval letter? I asked the administrative offices in some universities about the possibility of applying and they simply replied by email that you can apply, does that email response enough to proceed to application process although some of such email replies are from general mext scholarship offices, not from schools themself.
Thank you

That requirement is for applicants in clinical medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and veterinary fields. All of those fields would almost certainly require Japanese fluency, because you would have to get the proper licenses to practice from the Japanese government.
If that applies to you, then I recommend that you contact them, tell them that you are applying for the MEXT scholarship and require their pre-approval to be able to apply. Send them a link to the scholarship guidelines in Japanese in that email, too. Once you have their answer, I recommend that you print their email with the permission to apply and include it with your application.

I recommend that you contact the embassy or consulate to ask for their instructions. I have heard different guidance given in different countries, so you want to make sure you are following their rules.
Last year, I know some countries told applicants to open the envelope and make copies themselves while other countries told applicants just to submit the one original. Make sure you are following the instructions for your country!

I recommend starting as a non-regular course student. That will give you some time to adjust to life in Japan and researching at your new university before you take the entrance exam and start working on your degree program. Once you start the doctoral program, you would have to complete it within three years.

Hello, and than you for your brief explanation on the application form. I have a question, what should i fill in the HighSchool section if I was an exchange student within my study year? Which made me to extend 1 year to complete my highschool. Should i write something in remarks? Thank you

I would recommend writing that in the remarks section, yes. If you signed up for the mailing list and downloaded the free sample application form, I have one entry in there that has an example of how you can write it. In your case, you would also want to mention that year was why your program took an extra year.

Hi, thank you for the highly informative article. I looked for my question in the comments but there are far too many and I can’t read them all. I need to know if having taken a gap year after high school will affect my application for the Undergraduate MEXT scholarship? O r if it will make me any less eligible or even exclude me completely from eligibility? Also, I’m considering taking a foundation program this year (year after gap year) before applying for an actual bachelors program to build my academic understanding and involve in some activity that will support my academic record for future applications, and I’m wondering if that will also affect my eligibility for the application? Especially considering I also took a gap year the year before? Basically will it negatively affect my chances of getting accepted…The fact that I’m applying 2 years after finishing high school, and the fact that I will have involved in academic studies after high school, even if they’re not bachelor’s degree related? I hope this comment is noticed asap because I need this especially that I’m already late..Thank you very much for helping in advance.

I do not have any expertise in the undergraduate scholarship, but as far as I know there is no problem with a gap year. As long as you meet the age eligibility requirements, you should be fine. The same thing goes for the foundation program: as long as you meet the age eligibility requirements, you are able to apply.
As far as whether it will help or hurt your chances, that depends on how you present yourself in the application process!

Hello , i would like to ask about the recommendation letter , Can it be handwritten or should it be typed ? also about the health certificate if coming from a country where doctors cannot fill it in english then should i translate it ?
im going to graduate from highschool and i won’t have the graduation certificate when applying , should i give them a proof that im in my last year ? Thank you

Typed is always better. It is much easier to read that way.
For the Medical Form, ask the embassy if they are aware of any doctors that can complete the form in English. They may have a list. I find it hard to believe that there would be no doctors who could complete it in English – many medical terms are so similar that it should not be a problem for them.

If you absolutely cannot get someone who can read the form in English, then you can have it translated for the doctor, but the doctor should complete their entries in the English version of the form and should write in that language if at all possible.

Unfortunately, I do not know about the application process for undergraduate scholars, so you may want to double-check the instructions for the graduation certificate with the Embassy. I know that for applicants for the graduate scholarship, if they haven’t graduated, they have to submit a certificate of expected graduation, which I talk about in the article about required documents.

Thank you for your reply ,, if u dont mind iwould like to ask about the x-ray , I already called the embassy and they said that the doctor will decide if u will have one or not . Should I have one even though the doctor might say its not necessary ? Thank you

If the embassy says that the doctor can choose for the Embassy Recommendation scholarship, then I recommend that you follow their guidance. For the University Recommendation scholarship application, in my experience the x-ray was always required and doctors did not have the discretion to choose.

Dear Travis from Vietnam,
Thank you for your guide and sorry for too many questions recently, but I hope you do not mind replying me. I will apply for the Undergraduate Scholarship this May, and I do not understand much about the “Attached Paper”. I attended 2 elementary schools due to moving house in the past, so when I write an attachment, whether do I have to write only 2 rows for 2 schools in the “Name” and “Location” fields on the attachment or do I have to write 2 rows of the Primary Education including Name, Location, Duration, Remarks, etc. for each school I attended. If it is the latter, so in the “Duration” field, should I write the separated times for each school (for example, the first school is from 2006-2008 and the second is from 2008-2011) and the different “Period Required For Graduation” for each one (for example, the first school is 2 years and the second is 3 years)? I will be really appreciated if you can reply me. Once again, thank you so much Travis.

If you can fit both schools’ information into the form, then you can write both there.
If you do submit an attached paper, then I recommend that you still fill in the field in the application form with the overall information, then fill in the complete information for each school in the attachment. That would mean two complete Primary Education entries in the attachment.

Hi Transenz, thank you so much for your guide. I have a question is that when I write the current address (I’m from Vietnam), is it necessary to write in full English? For example, there are many administrative units in the country, so is it necessary to translate them all to English? Looking forward to seeing your reply soon. Thank you!

You should not have to translate words from the address (like administrative units) into English, but you should write it in English characters.
To use a Japanese example, if your address was in 港区 (Minato-ku) you would write “Minato-ku”, not “Minato Ward”.

I’m going to apply for MEXT Undergraduate program 2019. Can you advice me how to take the preparation for the written exam that’s going to be taken? I’ll be targeting engineering. So Any tricks for MATHS , Physics and Chem?

A very good morning Travis and thank you so much for the sample form!
I just have a few more questions.I understand that I might be a little late in starting preparations for the scholarship.
I am interested in an MBA program at Waseda University and since I already graduated,I believe a embassy recommended scholarship is only applicable for me.
Could you help me with a rundown of what I need to do to apply for the scholarship for next year (2019).I would very much appreciate your response and help!

The 2019 Embassy Recommendation application guidelines aren’t out yet, but I will be writing a new article about them when they are released.
In the meantime, I’d recommend that you check out the post about getting started with the Embassy Recommendation from last year, as well as the one on writing your Field of Study and Research Program Plan. Those should get you going in the right direction!

Hello, Thank you so much for the article, it is very helpful. While reading the application guidelines I’ve found that the attached photograph to the application form should be “upper body, full face, no hats” no problem with the two first conditions. The third though, I’m Moroccan and I cover my hair for religious reasons with the “Hijab”. Will it be acceptable if my hair is covered in my photograph? Or should I write something explaining the reasons behind me not being able to take it off? And if I do will it be taken into consideration?

In my experience, religious headcoverings that cover the hair are acceptable. However, it must not obscure or cast a shadow on your face in any way. If your face can be clearly seen with no shadow, then it should be fine.

I’d recommend that you start with my article about the basics of the MEXT scholarship. That explains where to get all of the forms, based on the type of scholarship and application method you’re going for.

Hi travis !
I was reading about the accompanying dependents and i was wonering if someone could bring a family member even though they didnt right them down on the application form, if so , can the family member be a brother or a sister ? Or it has to be their own child or spouse ? , let’s say i’ll be going this april to japan , is it possible to have my sister or my brother as an accompanying dependent after six months (knowing that i didnt note anyone down on the application form), thank you very much

It is possible to invite a family member to come even if you didn’t write them in the application form (that is not binding, just for planning). However, you cannot invite a sibling as a dependent. You can only get a Dependent CoE for a spouse or a minor child.

Thank you very much for your answer and for the useful informations you always provide us with, can i ask you for how long can my sibling stay in japan if its just for planning ? Thank you very much and have a nice day

Your sibling would be able to come as a “Temporary Visitor” (i.e. tourist). Typically, the maximum duration of a tourist stay is 90 days, but you should refer to the Japanese embassy in your country to be sure and to learn the specific procedures.

You should get these documents from the Embassy or University where you plan to apply.
I say this because the formats change occasionally, and I don’t want to give you the wrong information.

The Letter of Recommendation requirements are different for university-recommendation and embassy-recommendation, and there may be differences for undergraduate and graduate, so be sure to check for the specific type of scholarship you plan to apply for!

I don’t know about JICA, so you’ll have to look that up on your own.
The TOEFL exam is not required for the university-recommended scholarship, but it is required for the university-recommended scholarship at some universities. (Alternatives like IELTS may also be accepted).

You’d have to check the instructions on the university that you want to apply for.

Hello , I am Yara from Egypt
I ‘ll apply for the MEXT scholarship next year , and i don’t know how to get prepared for the exams of the scholarship , please could you suggest for me books or any materials that would help me , and I’ll apply to study electrical engineering , and my last question Should i have TOEFL or ILETS ? thank you very much

Since I don’t know what type of scholarship you’re applying for (undergraduate or graduate) or where (embassy or university), I can’t really answer that question. But if you read the various MEXT articles on this site, you should be able to find a good direction to get started!

Hi, I am sorry if I am hijacking a post. I am quite confused how to put new comment. I am not sure if this is something that you can help me with but can you point me to the application procedure to get an acceptance letter from Nagoya University. I tried to search for it in their website but to no avail.

It looks like Nagoya handles Letter of Acceptance requests on a school-by-school basis. I found the instructions for the Graduate School of International Development below:http://www.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/int/application/mext-en.html
If you’re applying to a different graduate school, I recommend you check the graduate school’s web site or contact their administrative office directly.

Can you please tell me how much marks should I score in written exam ( college of technology ) I order to get selected and does selection process depends entirely on written exam ( i f I scored less than someone then can I be selected )

I don’t have any information specific to the Colleges of Technology scholarship, but for all the others, there is no target score you should be looking for – you have to do better than everyone else.
Also, if you’ve had to turn in a research plan and/or your grades from your last academic program, then those will also be a significant factor in obtaining the scholarship, not just the test.

Hi
The information was very helpful.I have been called to take an exam by the embassy .Can you give me insights about the examination that will be conducted in the embassy.Do you have any sample questions that can be asked in the exam?

So,based on your suggestion, bin / binti shoudl not be left out when filling up the name section in the name form.

For example the name is Alia binti Abu Bakar, even in the passport.
So, during application, i put in Alia as given name, Binti as middle name and Abu Bakar as surname. Abu bakar in this case is my father’s name and we dont really have any surname.

Now in my pledge & cetificate from the university, my name end up being Abu bakar Alia binti, which i think is weird.

Is this normal travis? or if not, is there any chance that i can change the way my name is arranged to its normal form “Alia binti abu bakar” and how?

I just saw the clause listed in the official Mext guideline, that any wrong info wrongly stated in application can result in the scholarship being cancelled. Is wrong name arrangement included under this?

I would like to ask for rearrangement from Todai but i’m afraid of the consequences now. Is there any chances they will cancel the scholarship due to this?

Can you please clarify this to me as soon as you can travis if i can make the changes or not. .

My understanding is that this clause refers to deliberately falsifying your application, such as listing schools that you didn’t actually attend, etc.
You would not be punished in any way for misunderstanding a question and filling it in with what you thought was true and correct at the time!

The way your name came out is normal for Japan, unfortunately. The Japanese system is very rigid and everything has to match your passport exactly. Since Japan does not acknowledge middle names, they end up being part of your first name. (I don’t like it either, but it’s what we have to deal with here).

Everything before the << in your name at the bottom of your passport would be considered your “surname” and everything after would be your first name.
However, if your passport does not have a <<, then you might be able to ask them to rearrange your name in the order it appears on your passport.

Hello,
I know this is coming late..I just got the information about the scholarship and I’ll like to apply but my challenge is getting the documents submitted.
Pls is there any email address I can send them to as submitting at the office is not feasible for me…Thanks

It’s taken me a while to get back to you, so I’m sure you’ve figured it out already by now: No, it’s not possible to submit the application by email.
You need to check the website of the Japanese embassy in your country for the submission instructions. They may accept it by post or only in person, depending on the location.

Hello,
I am a student from Pakistan.
I want to apply for Masters Program. I wanted to ask if research proposal is needed for masters application as well? or is it for Ph.D ?
Looking forward to your response.

Hello Travis,
Thank you for the invaluable support and guidance you are giving us!
I am in the final stages of submitting my application and documents for the MEXT embassy scholarship. I discovered this site a few days back and i has guided me to rectify the mistakes i had made.
Here are my two questions:
I already have a masters degree in public health and i am applying to have another master’s degree in Global Health. From the posts, most people who are applying for masters degree course are those who have finished their undergraduate studies. Given my position, do i qualify to be shortlisted if i explain why i need the second masters program. Or is there another approach i can use to enroll for the Global health masters course.

I am applying in the research student category and i notice the different ways research students can be categorized (Non- regular, Regular and masters students) Do i need to specific at this level? I am interested in the masters course but also understand that i have to polish up by research proposal with professor before starting the masters course. What do you advise?

I will be grateful to hear from you soon since i have only 5 days left for the deadline to close.

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write back. I have been replying in the order that comments arrived for the most part, and so I wasn’t able to keep up.
How has your application gone?

While it’s too late to help you, if you already have a Master’s degree, you cannot apply for master’s level non-regular status (research student status). Even if you’re applying for the degree program, you might have a harder time than someone applying for a PhD-level program unless you can make a strong case about why the second master’s is necessary to your future goals.

Good Luck! I hope the screening went well for you.
– Travis from TranSenz

Fax is optional, and a mobile number would be considered a telephone number, so you can use that number!
Your recommender should be a university professor, so if he or she does not have a direct line, then the number to the department or school main line should be fine, as well. (Again, fax is optional).

I’m afraid I don’t understand quite what you mean.
Since I wrote this article, MEXT updated the application form, so I have written a new post about how to complete the form (complete with a sample) at this link.

Hi, thank you for sharing the informations and for the advices, it’s really helpful. I am applying for the MEXT scholarship via embassy recommendation for research student (doctoral course), and while filling the “placement preference form” i saw that i have to write the name of the supervisor along with the university and the graduate school, so do i need to contact professors from the desired universities and get their reply before applying ?? (because i already started contacting them, and now im not so sure if this step should be done now , or after the written exam and the interview?)

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Due to the volume of questions, I’ve started posting answers to common questions in an FAQ, instead of answering directly in the comments. I addressed your question in a new FAQ post at:

I would recommend that you contact the Japanese embassy for specific guidance in your case, but in the meantime, here is what I know based on my past experience:
1) As far as I know, you can start the application without a passport, though I recommend you start applying for your passport as soon as possible.
2) Instead of your passport, you will probably have to submit your birth certificate and a translation of that birth certificate with your application. This is so the embassy can check your legal name and birthdate to verify the info in your application.

Thank you so much for all this information and it seems you put great effort into this website. It has really provided me with loads of insight. I’ll quickly go into the two questions I have:

1. I’m currently in the process of two separate graduate study degrees (one with a thesis, the other non-thesis). I’m confused as to which one would be deemed as being my ‘most recent’ one. Can I include transcripts for both? (My GPA for both are fantastic and I don’t want to exclude either one if possible)

2. Does the ministry have a bias against social sciences? Will I have a lower chance of acceptance or is it not something to worry about?

Thank you for your kind comments.
1. I’ve never heard of that situation before. I assume both are Masters’ degrees? If either of your degrees are postgraduate certificates (which don’t count for this application) or they are at different levels, then the decision would be easy. But if you are doing two Masters’, I would suggest that you list the “most recent” as the one that is most related to your intended studies in Japan. If your GPA for both is excellent, then you don’t need to worry about listing both. Two degrees with a 3.0 GPA is not going to give you any advantage over one degree with a 3.0 GPA.

2. No, I am not aware of any bias at the ministry level, but the ministry is just a rubber stamp on your application at the end. I would be more concerned with your local embassy. Embassies can choose to limit slots in certain fields or to make only certain fields available on a country-by-country basis. I recommend you check with them to see if there are any limitations on the field of study in your country.

Dear Mr. Travis,
I have a question relating to the tuition fees at Waseda University. I found out in a PDF file in official website of Waseda University that the tuition fee for economics majors are as following: First year: 742,500 JPY, Second year: 543,500, third year: 546,500.
Those above tuition fees, according to my findings, are not considerably more than tuition fees at the national universities. However, I also asked my lecturer (who graduated from Waseda 06 years ago), she stated that her tuition fees were triple of normal tuition fee at national universities. Do you have information on this, please help me to clarify.
Thank you very much for your invaluable support!

The tuition fees at the PhD level are not significantly different between private and national universities, particularly in social sciences fields. You see more of a difference at the Master’s level and a significant difference at the undergraduate level.

I am not completely certain how tuition payment for Embassy-recommended scholars works for national universities, but since a significant portion of national universities’ funding comes from MEXT anyway, they might have something worked out in the process whereby it costs less for MEXT to fund a scholar at a national university than it does at a public or private, even if tuition rates are identical.

You can either apply by embassy recommendation or university recommendation.
For embassy recommendation, you want to contact the Japanese embassy in Afghanistan to find out how to get started. Some embassies are accepting applications now for 2018.
Alternatively, if you want to apply for university recommendation, you would contact the university you want to apply to when they release their application guidelines in the fall.

hello TranSenz
I want to ask a question and disperately want an answer
I am a recent graduate Architect, and i am working at a “non-official” small office in my town ( since i’m at a 3rd world country this is pretty common). And it’s obviously I can’t write this job in my employment record as it isn’t official. But this office has a strong partnership with a big official office, in which I my self done many work at, and the head of this office agreed to write me a recommendation letter with his contact information, and he told me to write his office as my working place. So would it be bad if i write in the application that i am working at his office even tho i am not? And i don’t have any other options, as i worked in a couple of offices but they were very small or not registered, and some of the official offices that i work for was only as part time or as a training.

I’m afraid I don’t really know what you mean by an unofficial office. Maybe I just don’t know enough about the architecture industry in your country.
If you’re employed full-time then it shouldn’t be a problem to list your current office as an employer, regardless of its official status. Writing down that you work for another office when you do not, however, would be falsifying your application and could result in disqualification if you were found out.

Given that your employment background is not that significant in your MEXT application, I would not recommend taking the risk of lying there. If you have never been employed full-time, then it would be far better just to say that (i.e. leave the employment records blank) and mention that you had worked as a freelance contractor, if it comes up in the interview, etc.

Hi Tarvis,
Thank you so much for this guide, it is very informative and gives someone confidence for application.

My question might be silly but please help me with advice.
I am currently applying for Embassy recommendation MEXT scholarship and I have not written TOEFL exam or IELTS before but in my country(Nigeria) there is an examination for final year students in secondary school which is called GCE ‘o’ level and I have a ‘C’ grade in English, will it be accepted or must I write the TOEFL exam?

Thank you for your kind comments.
1) For your English language proficiency, that is going to be up to the discretion of the individual universities that you apply to, so I cannot say for sure. Where I worked, we would not have accepted O Level scores, but other universities might.
2) It is not possible to accurately convert an overall GPA. You have to convert it course-by-course. I have a sample table in my article about eligibility criteria that you can use. They will probably convert your GPA as follows: 3.5 – 5.0 = 3 / 2.5 – 3.49 = 2 / 1 – 2.49 = 1 /0 – 0.9 = 0, but that would ultimately be up to the university or embassy’s discretion.

That depends what application method you are using. If you are applying via Embassy Recommendation, you would submit it (and the other required forms) to the Japanese Embassy in your home country. If you are applying via University Recommendation, you would submit it (and the other required documents) to the University you want to apply to.

Dear TranSenz,
I appreciate your help! I know font has been alluded to in a previous post. But on the UK word document forms the font that is chosen is so small. It looks funny when I use their font both when I use it the same size (unreadable) or when I use a larger size for my own writing (looks a little odd). What would you recommend?

The application form this year changed to become an excel file, so I’ve written up a new post on that document that you can find here.

I would recommend installing the Japanese language pack for your operating system to see if that helps. They might be using an English font that is native to the Japanese OS.
If that doesn’t work, then try to get a copy in pdf format (you can use my sample and edit out the sample entries) then edit it directly in that format via a graphic editor.

Thank you so much for your helpful information about completing the application form. There is one question that I’d like to have your help with: In 2012 I traveled to Japan for Japanese language education for 10 months with student visa. The arrival date and leaving date was stamped on my previous passport which was lost 2 years ago. So regarding the section that I have to fill in the record of my stay in Japan and purpose, I can’t remember the exact date that I arrived and left Japan. Is there any way for me to check that?

If you do not have your passport anymore, I would recommend looking through your other records to find the dates, or get as close to them as possible.
Check your old social media posts, bills for your flight tickets, dates of enrollment at your language program, etc.

As far as I know, there is no official public record you can check. If you’re a few days off, it should not be a big deal.

Hello , transenzjapan
Thank you very much for you great topics that really clarify a lot about the application process .
I have tow questions though that confuse me :
1) Right now , I’m a resident physician in Clinical Pathology department ” graduated recently 2 months ago ” .. I’m applying for MEXT scholarship 2018 . I wonder if I will be enrolled as a master degree or a doctoral degree student in Japan after completing the research student period ? ” as it’s mentioned in the guidelines that most universities offer only a 4 years doctoral course “.
2) research proposal ! does it have to be that difficult ?! I see Medical research for Japanese professors in the field I wish to study ” Hematology ” and It shocks me how specific and detailed their research are ! especially for me as a recent graduate how has literately a very little experience in research areas .. so, any tips ?
3) I don’t have a passport currently but I will fulfill the required papers and request on the next month after submitting documents to the embassy .. does this affect me ?

1) This all depends on how long you have studied so far and what your studies would be equivalent to. If you studied 4 years in undergraduate, you would be applying for Master’s level study. If you studied in a 6-year undergraduate degree or you have an advanced degree such as an MD, you would be applying for PhD-level studies.
In Japan, a PhD program is typically 3 years.
2) Your research proposal should be very well defined and thoroughly planned out. You are proposing a research project that you want to spend the next 2-3 years on. I would recommend talking to a senior researcher where you work or to a former professor for advice on how to write a research plan for your field.
3) I would recommend talking to the Embassy where you will apply for their advice. You should be able to submit proof of having applied and then give them your passport copy when it is released, but they may have other, specific instructions for you.

The medical form changed significantly this year, so I don’t have a sample of the most recent version yet. You can download the original form from MEXT’s website. It’s the bottom excel file on that page.

Hi mate ! i have some questions . Last year i applied this program but couldnt pass unfortunately . Eliminated at 2nd round . I just want to know what kind of english they use to test us ? I mean is it TOEFL type of or IELTS type of english ? what should i do in order to get better result at shuch type of english test which MEXT use in exam . I hope you will got my point thanks )

Did you apply for the Embassy-recommended scholarship or university-recommended? I’m curious what you mean by “second round” to see if there’s any advice I can offer on that particular part of the application.
The English language test requirement varies, but in general both official TOEFL and official IELTS would be accepted. (Unofficial tests, like the TOEFL ITP or “equivalency exams” typically would not be acceptable). You have to take the test on your own in advance and submit the score with your application.
If you’re applying via the Embassy, they have their own language test they offer, but you would still have to provide formal test scores to most universities when you apply.

I have 2 questions about application form
1- In section Academic record – instruction part – number 3
2- in section 15 – the first course you plan to take in japan
I wanna study master degree but I should study as a research student there.
research student is a non-degree student?

The form has changed since I created the samples for this page, so I’ll have to update them soon. It sounds like you’re asking about the new form.

1- Do you mean the reference to the “university entrance qualification examinations”? That refers to a test you would take if you hadn’t completed high school, for example, to prove that you had equal academic ability to a high school graduate so that you could enter university directly. In most cases, it would not apply to MEXT applicants.

2. You can select “Master’s Degree” directly. But if you prefer to start as a Research Student, then you would select “Non-Degree Student.” Non-degree student is actually a better translation of the Japanese term, but you will still see universities use the term “research student” as well.

Hi Travis, thank you so much for this very very informative post. Unfortunately for me, i only found your postings AFTER submitting my MEXT forms. I submitted my forms via the institute i applied to, which is the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), and i was recently told that GRIPS is nominating me.

Upon reading your postings, i have found discrepancies with my application forms which i now worry might disqualify me.

No 1: I have not matched the end date of my tertiary education details to the one stipulated in my transcript. This was due to my own confusion, as i typed in the final date of the semester, rather than the date that i graduated. My only ray of hope is that the month and year i wrote in my application form is the same as in the transcript, so i hope MEXT would ignore this error.

No 2: I did not explain why i attended 15 years,of schooling instead of 16 years. Like Japan, my country practices a 16-year formal education duration, but i finished earlier than planned, as i took up more subjects in my earlier semesters.

From your experience, would these errors disqualify me? Would being nominated by my the institution i applied to strengthen my application in any way, thus, minimizing my disqualification. Hope you can share your thoughts. Thank you!

I think my article may have unnecessarily stressed you out.
If the university cleared your application and passed it on to MEXT, then you should be fine. The university screening should be the most intense! MEXT is just double-checking their work.
In either case, they would not disqualify you or remove you from consideration over these kinds of issues without giving you the opportunity to explain yourself.

1. If the date you entered matches the date on the transcript, that should be fine. I often had to ask applicants to change their dates when the date that the wrote in the form didn’t match any of the formal documentation from the university (transcript or certificate of graduation), but as long as it matches one of the two, that should be fine.

2. The rules state that you must complete a “16 year program of education,” not 16 years of education. If it normally takes 16 years to graduate in your country but you did it in 15, you’ve still completed a 16 year program. Explaining that you took more credits than you had to and graduated early is a footnote, relatively speaking. Leaving it out is not going to ruin your application chances. Besides, MEXT gives universities the responsibility to determine if someone who graduated from a 15-year program has sufficient academic background or not. Since GRIPS said that you meet their requirements by nominating you, MEXT isn’t going to second-guess that.

I think you should be fine. I hope you hear good news, soon.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz

Thanks Travis. i bet Debbie Downers like me posts questions like these all the time haha. The final notification is in July (which is killing me!). Really appreciate your reply. Keep up your amazing work!

Hope you are doing well. Thanks for always being active. I check your posts all the time to address my MEXT-related anxiety issues LOL. I am trying to explain the ‘Priority Graduate Program’ to my employer, for administration purposes i.e. managing my study leave. I noticed that you created a post on this, but the link is not clickable. Mind sharing it here?

The point i hope i can raise to my employer is the following:

‘I applied under the PG program, which accepts applicants based on an unspecified criteria. If the applicant matches this criteria, he will be accepted, granted he is eligible etc.’

Is this correct for me to say? I was also hoping to add a point on how PG applicants are ‘prioritized’ at the ministerial level screening, but i am not sure if this is true. Hope you can help out.

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I was not prepared for the number of questions and comments I got in May/June and am still catching up.
I had planned to create a post on the PGP, but did not end up doing so as the program is coming to an end.

The most important thing you need to know about the PGP program is that there are a designated number of slots for each selected PGP. If the university nominates you to MEXT under the PGP (they might not specify, but if they tell you to expect the results in late July or August, then it is PGP), then you are all-but guaranteed to receive the scholarship.

Of course, by now, you should have heard the final confirmation!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz

John2017年4月9日

Hi Travis!
What a wonderful Blog!!Thanks for helping us out here.
I had a similar query as @sandeep .
I am employed right now but the company I am working at is undergoing a serious organisational change. At this time ,and for the next few months , my manger has been shifted and I currently dont report to anyone. This situation is pretty much problematic for me in getting a employee recommendation and Non-Objection Certificate . Additionaly , I am planning to leave the company. As you have mentioned , it is better to write unemployed to prevent all the hassle.
So , as an advice from you, should I write unemployed as well?
Plus, will the research proposal submitted in the embassy application be shared with the professor whom I would be seeking letter of acceptance ?
while contacting the professor, should the research proposal to the professor be same?
Thanks again

You should be accurate about your current situation when you submit your form. If you write “unemployed” because you plan to quit soon, but the Embasssy finds out you were employed when you wrote it, they might view that as falsifying your application and disqualify you.

In the section that asks about your employment, there should be a box to fill in the dates of employment. You could enter your expected quit date there to indicate that you will not be employed any longer when the scholarship begins. In that case, I would also recommend inserting an additional letter in your application stating that you are currently employed but your employment will end on a specific date before the scholarship begins, just in case they don’t notice the dates in the application form.

Yes, the research proposal that you eventually submit to the universities/professors to request a LoA is the same one you submit to the embassy. Usually, you would have to send them a copy of the exact same form with the embassy’s seal, if appropriate. (Some embassies stamp their seal on each page before returning your application documents, some do not). You will have to send it to the universities, though. The embassy is not going to do that for you!

Hi, I am Ashly
I am currently pursuing 3rd year btech and I wish to do my masters in Japan. I would like to apply for MEXT scholarship 2018. Will I be qualified to apply for because I will only graduate by July 2018. Is there any other scholarships available?
Thanks

You would be eligible to apply as long as you only apply to programs with a fall 2018 start.
It isn’t written in the English instructions, but in the Japanese instructions they make it clear that you need to have graduated from your prior degree (bachelor’s in your case) before you arrive in Japan. You can start your application before you finish your degree.

There are no other scholarships from the Japanese government that can be guaranteed before arrival that I am aware of. Other scholarships in Japan, in general, are very limited for non-Japanese and would require you to enroll as a fee-paying student before you could apply.

Hi Travis!
Thanks for this wonderful blog.
I have a doubt. I am currently unemployed. So I will be writing Unemployed in the MEXT form.
But I am still applying for Job and I might get it during the application process.
1.So, first, does MEXT do crosschecking for employment status.
2.Does being ‘unemployed ‘ is a negative status, as it would show that either the person is lazy or ineligible to get a Job.
3.Or if they crosscheck and find that I am employed, will my application be rejected?
4.Also Why do they ask for NOC from present Employer?
Please help me out .

You’re welcome, I hope it has been helpful to you!
1. The university (or embassy) would do that, not MEXT.
2. Being unemployed is not necessarily a disadvantage. It depends how long and why you are unemployed. For example, there would be no slight against you if you had just graduated and not found a job yet. Or if you had recently left your job to focus on applying for graduate schools, had chosen not to work in order to care for your family, etc. If you have been unemployed for a long time, they may ask you the reason.
3. If you lie about your employment status (or anything else on your application), yes, you would be disqualified.
4. I’m afraid I’ve never heard of a “NOC” before- what is that? When I handled these applications, we didn’t ask for anything from applicants’ employers that I am aware of.

Thanks Travis for the insight.
NOC is Non-Objection Certificate(From current employer) which is being asked by the India Embassy for the Application and Employer’s Recommendation.
Currently, I am unemployed. So at the time of application, I would be stating unemployed.
However, I am anticipating to be employed in another 5-6 months.
So, by that time, if the University(Embassy) crosschecks and finds out that I am employed, I am afraid, the application would be disqualified.
This is just a case I am anticipating.
Please suggest a way forward.

Now I understand!
The Embassy needs to know that, if you are nominated for the scholarship, you will be able to leave your current job to take the scholarship. The point is not to prove whether or not you are employed, it is to show that nothing will prevent you from taking the scholarship if it is offered.
In that case, being unemployed makes things simpler.

You should fill out your application form with the information that is true when you complete it. If you are unemployed now, write unemployed. You will not be penalized if you find employment after submitting that form, since it was true when you completed it. (You may be asked to submit a NOC if they discover that you are employed).

Given that it is April already, 5-6 months from now would be September/October. By that time you should have a pretty clear idea as to whether or not you will receive the scholarship, so I would recommend keeping that in mind as you search for employment. If you pass the Embassy’s primary screening (July/August) and get at least one Letter of Acceptance (August/September), then you would know at that point that you are all but assured of getting the scholarship!

I have applied to University recommendation for October 2017 and I am still waiting for an answer. Since I am currently working in Japan , I would like to know if I get accepted, do I need to leave Japan and come back ? If yes, for how long minimum ?

Unless you were applying for a PGP category scholarship, you should have already heard from the university regarding whether or not they recommended you for the scholarship. For General Category scholarships, the universities had to submit nominations to MEXT in early February. I’d recommend double-checking the application guidelines from when you applied and looking up their announcement date. If that date has passed, contact the university to try to get an update. (You should have heard back from them regardless of whether your were accepted or not).

Yes, you will need to leave Japan. At a minimum, you would need to leave before July, so you can go back to your home country to get your visa (you cannot change status in Japan for the MEXT scholarship). I recommended in the article on MEXT scholarship Eligibility that you leave for at least 6 months, but that was mainly to smooth any worries the university might have about your eligibility. If they recommended you for the scholarship without checking when you would leave Japan, then July should be fine.

The application form generally won’t be available outside of the application period.
Once the Embassy or the Universities are accepting applications, you should be able to find the form from their websties. The forms are different for the different application types.

You can also find application forms on MEXT’s Website, though its all in Japanese and is typically updated later than the other sites.

Hi, Travis.
What about the name of the school? Because I still don’t know if I accepted in the university I enrolled since the announcement is after the dateline the form must be submitted.
It’d be nice if you can answer this. Thank you

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you.
You should write your current status as of the time that you fill in the form. If you haven’t been accepted to a school yet, then your current status is not “student at that school.”

Hi! I am Andrea Viernes a Grade 11 student in the Philippines. I wish to apply for the scholarship but I am wondering if I am eligible to apply if I am just expected to graduate in Senior High School in 2018. Is it okay?

The guides I have posted are for the scholarship for graduate students.
There is another scholarship category for undergraduates. Like the graduate scholarship, you can apply through the embassy or through the university, but I have never worked with that scholarship application directly, so I don’t have enough information about it.
If you will graduate by March or earlier, you would be eligible to apply for the 2018 scholarship. If you graduate by August 2018, then you could only apply for programs that begin in the fall.

I would recommend that you contact the Japanese embassy in the Philippines for more information on when the application process for 2018 will start.

Hi. I am Kayna. Currently, I am filling the MEXT application form and I am confused to count the duration of my academic year.
In my case, I had my elementary school from 4th January 1999 to 10th November 2014, so this will be counted as 5 or 6 years?
Same case to my pre- university which started from 10th May 2010 to 31th Disember 2016 and undergraduate which started from 1st September 2012 to 15th November 2016.
Please advice. Thank you.

I think you might have mistyped some of your numbers for elementary and pre-university, but I’ll try to fix them below:
4th January 1999 to 10th November 2004 = 6 years (Jan – Nov 1999, Jan – Nov 2000, Jan – Nov 2001, Jan – Nov 2002, Jan – Nov 2003, Jan – Nov 2004)
For your pre university and university, count the number of school years you were studying there.

Pre-university looks like 1 year 8 months to me, but since I don’t know when your school year formally starts and ends, it’s hard to tell.
For university, it looks like 4 years and 3 months, but if those last three months were just waiting for the formal graduation date, then they wouldn’t count.

Dear Travis,
Thank you for instructing through the MEXT! It`s incredibly helpful.
I write with next questions.
1)I was a recipient of MEXT scholarship 交換留学 in 2015-2016. Now, I am fourth-year student and graduate from the University next year in July. If I understand right, I am eligible for 研究生（大学推薦）, so I would like to apply for the program, starting from September, 2017. In Academic background I would fill in from 2012/09/01 to 2017/06/30 with Duration of Attendances of 4 years in Undergraduate’s column, right? Should I notice there about Gap Year I took to attend Japanese University, even though I have to write it anyway later in Past Awarded Record?
2)In the column of Period of previous scholarship should I write just 2015-2016, or exact days of entering and departure? What type is it? Japanese Studies Student?
Thank you for your support.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Julia

Yes, you are eligible to apply for the MEXT scholarship for graduate students. The undergraduate scholarship you received (Japanese studies scholarship 日本語・日本文化研修留学生) does not disqualify you from applying for another scholarship within three years.
1) You should list your year in Japan in the far right column under your undergraduate education. If the credits or exchange experience counted toward your graduation, it would be “One-year exchange at [university name]: month/year – month/year.” If it didn’t count toward graduation, then you would write “study abroad” instead of “exchange.”
In Japan, a “Gap Year” is when you’re not enrolled in school at all and traveling on your own. Typically, a gap year would be between schools, not in the middle. Even if it means something else to you, writing gap year might confuse the readers.
You will still mention your scholarship separately. But you need to list it in both places. If you write that you received the scholarship but don’t include it in your education chart, the university is going to see that as your record conflicting itself.

2) I partially answered this out of order above. The scholarship is the “Japanese studies scholarship” or 日本語・日本文化研修留学生. I would recommend writing the month and year that it started and ended in the “past awarded record” and write your exact dates of entering and leaving Japan in the “Immigration Records to Japan” section.

Hello TranSenz,
Thank you for your valuable information. I have applied MEXT scholarship in Ritsumeikan University. I have some question on email interview. Please explain some question of Email interview as below:
1.Describe what parts of Japan you are interested in and explain why.
2.Describe your understanding of Japanese industry in general.
3.Describe a situation where you faced difficulty in the past, and how you overcame it.
I could not understand what did they mean? I need your explanation immediately. Thanks in advance.
Sincerely
Rashid

Hello Travis,
Thanks for your details information about mext. I want to apply Ritsumeikan University in this year. That’s why I am trying to fill up application form of mext scholarship. But my submitted information like school name does not adjust with the selected area and some word are looking large than others. How could I solve this problem? Thanks.

That sounds like a problem with Ritsumeikan’s application forms, themselves, so there shouldn’t be a problem if you submit them as-is. There’s a good chance that every other applicant will be using the same ones.
I used to work with forms that had the same problem. We knew it was our fault, not the applicants’, so we never held it against anyone.

If you want to make it look cleaner, you can import the pdf forms into photo editing software (I used GIMP, which is completely free, to create the demo pdfs you see on this site) and use that software to type in your answers. But if you’re not familiar with doing that, it could take a while to get used to it and that might not be the best use of your time at this point.

Hello TranSenz,
Thank you very much for your wonderful guidelines. It’s been a lot of help. I am going to apply for MEXT-2017. I have three questions if you could kindly clear up-

1. I have never been to Japan. What should I write in ‘Field of stay in Japan’? Should I leave it blank or write ‘N/A’?
2. Can I submit photos with glasses (eyes clearly visible and no light reflection)?
3. I have already contacted a professor and he agreed to be my supervisor. He has also checked my ‘Research Plan’ and said it was okay to go ahead with it. Does he need to write any recommendation for me? BTW, I am applying for Ritsumeikan University.

I’m glad to hear you’ve found the blogs helpful so far!
1) I think you’re referring to the “Field of Study in Japan” question, from the Field of Study and Research Program Plan. Is that right? In that case, you should write about what it is you plan to study in Japan under this degree. See the article linked above for more information about the form.
2) There is no rule against submitting a photo with glasses so long as they do not obscure your face.
3) No, the professor at your target university does not need to write a recommendation. I remember that Ritsumeikan asks you to list the name of your desired supervising professor in the “Application Questionnaire” and to mark whether or not you have been in touch with that person. If you fill in that section, you should be fine – that professor and his graduate school will get your application for review, so he’ll be able to talk about you to the selection committee in person.

I saw there the section of “Outline of Graduation Thesis”. However, I have also created a technical paper in a symposium(not the thesis), will it be okay if I use that instead? The reason is because this technical paper has the greater connection or relation to my current research proposal. Shall I type it now as “Outline of Technical Paper”? Will it be okay?

I hope you can help me about this because I’m confused. There’s also a remarks saying that if someone has not created any thesis, they can type the summary of their research field instead, so I’m guessing if I can use my technical paper too because it is REALLY CONNECTED or RELATED to my RESEARCH PROPOSAL.

Will the university I will apply for investigate if it’s the Thesis I presented or a Technical paper?

You have to submit an abstract of your Graduation Thesis, if you have one. You don’t get to choose another paper because you like it better or because you think it’s more relevant. It is not OK to substitute.
If you try to cheat and pass off the technical paper as your graduation thesis and you are discovered – at any time during that application process or after receiving the scholarship – that would be sufficient grounds for your scholarship to be revoked and for you to be possibly asked to repay any scholarship money already awarded.

This really is not that significant a factor in the evaluation of your application, so it’s not something I’d worry about in your case. Focus on your Field of Study and Research Program Plan, instead. And by all means, reference your technical paper in there!.

The only fields I know of that are not allowed are ones with military applications or “dual use” applications that can apply to weaponry. (e.g. rocket technology, nuclear engineering, etc.) Other than those fields, if you can find a university that teaches your field in a language you speak, then there should be no problem!

I know for a fact that environmental sciences is OK. I’ve seen several students get the MEXT scholarship in that field (in English-taught programs).

Unfortunately, there are no MEXT scholarships for post-Docs or research collaboration between faculty members.
There are other types of grants for that, but I don’t have any expertise in that area. My best suggestion would be to get in contact with an interested researcher in Japan and work through him or her to find out what opportunities you could apply for together.

You should complete the application form and all other documents on your own (except the Letter of Recommendation, of course). Your prospective professor does not complete any of it.
It’s probably best to avoid asking your prospective professor for any help with the application documents. Professors don’t have the time and it doesn’t make you look very good as an applicant if you’re not self-sufficient enough to figure it out on your own.

I’ve tried to be as detailed as possible in this series of guides, but if you have additional questions, you can ask in the comments of the appropriate article and I’ll try to help you out!

Thank you very much for the swift response. How about the Research Proposal (Field of Study and Study Program Plan), are we also able to ask our sensei to review if we have missed anything?

Honestly, there are lots of questions that pop up our minds now (both me and my prospect professor)
1. I shared my Research Proposals to him, and he sent an email for feedbacks. At the middle of our email, he thought that I am applying for Masters degree via Univ MEXT. I clearly explained to him that I am applying as Non-Degree Research applicant. From that situation, he told me to ignore his feedbacks before and apologized for misunderstanding my application.
(maybe perhaps because those comments are for Masters only? I am not sure as well why he said that “ignore”.)
2. When I told him that my Research Program Plan was patterned to their university’s curriculum and calendar, he told me that the curriculum I used was for undergraduates. He then sent me a new link which is for Masters. He also informed me that he is a bit confused now if which of these curriculum apply to me (as Non-Degree seeking applicant). My question is, is the curriculum for Non-Degree Research applicant versus Master’s Degree Seeking applicant different? If yes, can I ask the admissions about this as well?
3. He(sensei) told me that he will call the admissions himself to clarify things because he’s a bit confused now with the situation. A week had passed but still no response from him, should I make the move now to call the admissions and ask on behalf of him? Will this offend him if in case, considering that I will inform him with regards to the conversation I will have?
And in the event that I will call the admissions (University’s department handling Monbukagakusho), is it okay to ask the differences between the two (Non-Degree Research versrus Masters Degree Research) to help my sensei understand clearly the situation?

BTW, The professor told me that I can call him anytime at his office to ask anything, but at the end of the same email, he told me that he prefer emails rather than call? A bit ironic I suppose. I also tried calling him many times but the call didn’t push through always, sometimes ringing, sometimes it will be cut at the middle of the call. :/ I truly wanna exert my efforts to this because I wanna explain to the professor that I’m serious and sincere with my applcation.

Any advice from you Sir will be gratefully received? Thank you.
I’m so sad right now, it felt like he’s not interested anymore. :'( I badly want this scholarship more than anything and I’m willing to take any initiatives whatever it takes.

Thank you for your detailed reply.
I didn’t realize you had already developed a relationship with a prospective advisor when I wrote my last message. If he is willing to help you, that’s great. It’s not a very common situation, though, so for other readers who aren’t getting that same kind of feedback, don’t worry!

I’m confused why you would want to apply for a Non-Degree program instead of the Master’s Degree. I think your sensei probably is, too. Usually, students only apply as research students if they are arriving in Japan in the wrong semester to start their degree, so they have to spend a semester as a research student before progressing to the Degree. But it sounds like you don’t intend to pursue a degree at all. Is there a strong reason for that?

1. Research student status is not pursuing a degree or a thesis, and your period of stay in Japan, so those are possible reasons why your sensei said to ignore his comments. His comments were probably about a 2-year research plan that would result in a thesis, but you don’t need that if all you want is to be a research student.

2. There is no curriculum for Research Students. A research student is someone who is using the university’s labs and resources and possibly attending some classes to pursue his or her own goal, not an official credential from the university. Since you aren’t pursuing a credential or degree, the university has no curriculum for you to follow. You’d be free to pursue your own interests under your advisor’s guidance.

3. I think you probably should try to better understand the difference between the two. That information should be in the application guidelines and I covered it in a previous comment somewhere, but I think I will make it into a full post in the future. A Research Student earns no degree and has a shorter stay in Japan. That’s basically the difference.
It should not offend your professor if you contact the admissions office yourself (it shows self-sufficiency). When you tell him that you contacted them, just mention that you had “a few things you wanted to make sure you understood.”

I would recommend sticking to email to contact your professor. It is much easier for most Japanese professors to communicate in writing, plus you don’t have to worry about missing him if he’s out of his office.

Thank you for your detailed explanation. Honestly, the reason why I’m planning to pursue the Non-Degree first because I’ve heard that it is less complicated as compared to Masters when it comes to application procedures(including exams or proposals). That’s why I planned to apply first as a Non degree and then continue it with Masters if in the event I succeeded the university’s expectations. (After completion of my Non-Degree Research).

I added the missing link to your comment.
I think I understand the confusion. The problem is that there are two different Japanese terms that are translated into English as “Research Students.”
The scholarship for graduate students as a whole is called the “Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Research Students,” which is what Lars was referring to in his article. This is to distinguish it from the “Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Undergraduate Students.”
In this case, “Research Students” means all graduate students. If I’m not mistaken, his proposal was for a Master’s Degree.

Universities also use the term “Research Students” to refer to non-degree-seeking students. Many Monbukagakusho scholars spend a semester as a Research Student because they enroll in a program that only starts in the spring, for example, but arrive at the school in the fall, so they have to wait to start their degree. It’s not often a problem of having to prove yourself to the university, unless your academic background is unclear.

I recommend that when you talk to your sensei, tell him you were confused because “kenkyusei” 研究生 and “hi-seikisei” 非正規生 are both translated into English as “Research Student” and that you do want to enroll in a master’s program.

Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz

pratik2016年10月4日

Hi
I wanna study msc in Japan. but my bachelors degree is for 3 years and my gradution period is 15 years. so can I apply for japanese universities or not?

Yes, you can apply.
If you’re applying by the university-recommended application, then you would have to contact the university in advance, explain your situation, and ask for an individual screening to confirm your eligibility. This is really just a formality.
If you’re applying via the embassy, then they should be familiar with your education system and you will have no problem!

The best way to stay up to date is to join my MEXT mailing list! Everyone on that list gets an email any time I have a new post about the MEXT scholarship on here.
You can join using the form on this page or at this link.

This article is about the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, and the application period for 2017 has not started yet. (The application period for the Embassy-recommended scholarship is over).
Almost any field taught in any university in Japan is available for the scholarship. The only exception I know of is fields with military applications.
If you can find a university in Japan that teaches your specialization (in English, assuming you aren’t fluent in Japanese), then it’s available.

Hey I recently applied for the MEXT scholarship but did not clear the interview. I need to understand next steps from u and I will be grateful if you can suggest anything. I am 34 right now and I do not think I can apply for MEXT scholarship next year. I had applied the scholarship for PhD program and now I am a bit puzzled as I dunno which other scholarships i should go for. Most of the scholarships are inclined towards a specific field of study and it does not match mine and some scholarships have restrictions to specific universities and schools.

Would it be helpful if I contact the universities directly and show my interest for pursuing doctoral programme or should I try to get in touch directly with the professors? the only glitch here is that I do not have great GPA scores but I really want to pursue further studies there. So a little bit of guidance would be a of a great help here.

It sounds like you will miss the age bracket for the MEXT scholarship next year.
I’m not familiar with any other pre-enrollment scholarships that you can apply for. There are very few pre-enrollment scholarships and, as you said, all the ones I saw have a lot of restrictions. They’d also be based largely on your past GPA.
Almost all the other scholarships I saw were only for current students. You’d have to apply to the university as a fee-paying student, pay all the tuition and entry fees, then apply for scholarships later. There’s no guarantee that you’d get one, either.
Unfortunately, most of those scholarships also required fluency in Japanese. . .

I would recommend whatever the default font is, whether that’s Arial, Times New Roman, or whatever else the software proposes. As long as it looks “normal” and and easy to read. The color should be black.

What english certifications other than the ones listed on the form are valid for the application?

For example the ESOL CAE, FCE from Cambridge, which are particularly popular in my country. And if such are valid, then how should we write the grades (since in these its used an alphabetic grading system)?

It is up to each university to decide which certificates to accept, so you would have to check the guidelines for the school you want to apply to. I haven’t heard of the ESOL CAE before, but I know at my school we would not accept the Cambridge FCE for any purpose, as it does not show a high enough level.

Please be sure to check with your university in advance!
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz

I just sent in my application to my consulate and one of my coworkers in my office notified me my employer letter of rec had no copies included. Should I be worried? I imagine the first thing the embassy desk will do is break the seal on my LoRs and make copies anyway.

I couldn’t open the envelope to check and I assumed they followed the instructions! I imagine you had some applications like this, I hope it wasn’t a disqualification! I am just hoping it doesn’t reflect poorly on me.

We often had situations where sealed letters of recommendation didn’t meet the requirements. We understood that was beyond the applicant’s ability to do anything about. Even if you provided perfect instructions to the recommender, unless you actually hold their hand through the process, you can’t guarantee that they’ll take care to follow them.

I worked at a university, not an embassy, so I never dealt with any requirements to submit multiple copies. However, I think the embassy would just make the copies themselves with no fuss. Like you said, they probably have to make extra copies for the review anyway. Besides, it’s less work for them to make a copy then it is to contact you and ask you to resubmit them 🙂

Hi!
I am applying for the MEXT undergraduate
I wanted to ask, regarding the pictures we need to send with our forms, I actually wear a scarf (cover my head for religious purposes)
Is a picture with my scarf acceptable if I send it?
And also, must my shoulders be visible in the picture?
I actually have some made, and I’m wearing a scarf, and my face and neck is visible, not shoulders.
I want to know if I can send these or if I’ll have to get new ones made

Based on my experience, head coverings work for religious purposes (such as head scarves) are acceptable in your photos. As a general rule, if it is acceptable to wear it in your passport or visa photo, it should be acceptable for the MEXT photo as well.
The guidelines do say that your “upper body” should be visible in the photo. Usually, that means at least head and shoulders, but from the upper chest up would be best.

If you have time, then you could check with the Embassy to see if your current photos are acceptable. But if you want to be sure, then I would recommend having new ones made that meet their requirements exactly.

I have a question about the undergrad application for 2017.
There are questions and i’m not sure if i should write essays for them or not. I’m sure adding more space in the application isn’t allowed so maybe they meant for you to only write in the space they give us?

There’s also the papers of research form which could also be essay questions. (It’s just the “Why did you choose this major” question 3 times for the 3 choices) But there’s no instruction that says you should use extra paper for the questions. Any clue on what i should do?

As far as I know, it is not. My understanding is that most undergraduate scholarship applicants do not go through direct placement. However, if you really have your heart set on a particular university, then go for it!

Hi Travis, thank you for your wonderful guides. They are amazing.
I hope you can help me with a couple of questions I have:
1) Throughout elementary, middle ans high schools, I changed schools a lot (11 in total) due to family situations and moving a lot. I lost a year because the study system was different from one region to the other.
Should I include all this on the application?

2) After I finished high school I went tp work to help my family pay for all living expenses, and it took me a while to be able to go back to study, so there is a gap of 7 years between highschool and undergraduate studies.
Do you think this will affect my application?

Thank you for your kind words!
1) Yes, you will have to list all of them, including the reasons for for changing, so you’re going to need to attach an additional explanation sheet or two. “Moved cities because of family situation” is a sufficient reason to give for changing and. “Repeated year due to difference in school systems.”

2) As long as you still meet the age requirements for the scholarship, that should not affect your application. If you were working full time, then there is a place to fill in your two most recent positions. (If your period of working helped inspire your research topic in any way, that can also be a powerful thing to include in your Field of Study to show why the topic matters to you).

Hi there! It’s Atousa.
Well, I have a question from you. I’ll be applying for MEXT undergraduate scholarship for 2017. Please help me with my confusion.
Well, the thing is that in MEXT undergraduate scholarship guidlines for 2017, it’s written that: “Note: An international student who intends to major in Natural Sciences is required to choose and enter first-, second-, and third-choice subjects from the same course.” So yeah, that’s it!
Well, it’s exactly my confusion! My question is : Do we all HAVE TO write and enter 3 choices or WE MAY write them in the application form?
Cause I only have interests in one subject…
: ( thank you for noticing!! It really does matter to me..

The undergraduate MEXT scholarship is handled entirely at the embassy level, so as a university employee I had no experience with that particular scholarship.
I’m sorry I can’t help, but I hope one of our other readers can!
If you can post a link to the application instructions you’re looking at, I can check the Japanese version to see if it’s any more clear, but I’m afraid that’s all I can offer.

Hello Travis,
Thank you for your guides!
I have questions regarding ACADEMIC LEAVE. I took gap year for family circumstances after the 1st year of my Master’s course and now I’m not sure whether I want to go back and complete it.
1) Is it necessary for me to obtain “Certificate of Expected Graduation” (and is it possible in my case)? Or I can go by submitting only me bachelor’s diploma supplement and 1st year Master’s transcript?
2) Should I obtain the proof of the permission for my academic leave signed by the Dean?
3) Or maybe it’s better not to mention the Master’s at all given that anyway my total period of schooling is over 16 years? I’m worried I might come across as uncommitted. Still the Master’s is related to my research field… I’m confused…
I would appreciate your help.

Am I correct in assuming that you’re going to be applying for a Master’s in Japan? In that case, you would need your Bachelor’s degree records (certificate of graduation and certificate of grades). You shouldn’t need the certificate of expected graduation, etc., from your in-progress Master’s.
As far as mentioning the Master’s that you took leave from, I would base the decision on why you took leave and why you wouldn’t return to finish it, especially if it’s a related field. Think about how you would explain it and how that would look to the university.

I remember seeing applicants in the past who had taken leave from a Master’s in their home country, come to Japan to do their MEXT Masters, and intended to return home to finish the original Master’s as well (or move on to a PhD there). In several cases, students in that situation explained that they wanted to quit their Master’s at home and come to Japan instead because the quality of education was better.

Hello, Travis!
I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me.
I’m a physician. I spent 6-year at Medical University then two 2-year residencies (Neurology and Infectious Desease). I have difficulty filling in “Academic Background”:
– My degree awarded on completing 6-year programme – Doctor of Medicine (MD). It can appear equivalent to Magister degree by reason of equivalence of amount of educational time. However, in my country we haven’t bachelor degree course (6 years is the minimum to obtain medical degree). So this programme goes into “undergraduate”,right?
– Residency is graduate medical training which is necessary for getting a license to practice. But after completing we don’t get an academic degree. Does the residency count as Graduate Level? Or my 4 years of hard work aren’t worth mentioning in Application at all?
Thank you for your time and consideration
Alex

Like you thought, the 6-year MD program would go into the undergraduate slot in the application form. Japan has a similar system for 6-year pharmacy degrees and that’s how we used to handle DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) 6-year programs as well.
As for the residencies, those wouldn’t fit into the Academic chart, but you should include them in your “Employment Record” if they fit.
But in any case, the application form is just about meeting basic requirements. It doesn’t play a big role in competitive evaluation of your application. So, if your residencies are relevant to what you want to research in Japan, it would be more effective to mention them elsewhere:
1) Your Field of Study and Study Program, page 1. If what you want to research is relevant to what you worked with in your residencies, mention that briefly here to show that you have practical experience plus a place to apply your knowledge after your graduation. Don’t dwell on it too much, but making it clear there could be beneficial to your application.
2) The “6. Field of Specialization Studied in the Past” on page 1 of the application form. When you write what you’ve studied, mentioning that you put it into practice in your residencies would help show that you are proactive and use your knowledge to help people.

Thanks for the information!
Could you please also shed light on following:
– should I type or handwrite “checks” and “circles” (for marking provided answer choices)?
– what am I supposed to indicate in “Immigration Records to Japan” if I’ve never been to Japan?
– should I write the name of “Person to be notified in applicant’s home country in case of emergency” in my native language (Russian) or in Roman letters?
Thank you in advance!

Good questions. I should have covered those above:
– I recommend typing the circles or checks if at all possible. The less handwriting you have on the form, the better.
– I recommend writing “none” in the Purpose block in the top row. In most cases, leaving it blank is also acceptable.
– Definitely write your emergency contact’s name in Roman letters! The same goes for the address.

Thank you for your guides! They helped me a lot when I prepared my application and the documents and all!
I recently got an email from my university asking me to fill another form for MEXT, but they didnot say anything about selection. They asked me to fill the form, and upload an abstract of my thesis to the university website. They mentioned that next week they will be sending the notification of selection to the nominees.
Does this mean I am selected? Is this a positive sign?
(I have applied to a Type A University)

If the university asked to fill in the MEXT application form and upload your thesis, that sounds like a very good sign to me!
When I worked applications, we would not bother asking applicants to submit anything new unless they were going to move on to the next stage.

Thank you for replying!
I hope that applies to my University as weel, because I have applied 3 months back and now I am getting anxious by the day.
Also, do the Professors know about the student’s result? My Professor said he will call the University ( he is a concurrent prof. So he doesn’t participate in the faculty meets) but he hasn’t mailed me back for a really long time , even when I asked him if he knows my results. This is more scary because usually he mails me back right away.
I’m scared now because most of the applicants on a forum I follow say that their Professor informed them about the result.
Any ideas?

Each university’s policy about announcing results is going to be different. Where I worked, the International Office informed all the applicants about whether they were accepted or not (for the University-recommended scholarship), and professors did not really get involved at that stage.

After students were accepted, then professors might reach out to them, but that depended on the graduate school and individual professor’s preference.

By this time, if you applied for the general category scholarship, the university should at least have informed you whether you were nominated or not. If you are a PGP scholarship candidate, though, the nomination period is later, so it is possible that the university has not made an official decision yet.

The only advice I can offer in your case is that every university is difference, so I wouldn’t worry too much about what applicants to other universities are saying. If it has been some time since you professor replied to your last email, it wouldn’t hurt to email him again and follow-up. It’s possible that he was just busy when your last message arrived and forgot to respond.

I have another question. Regarding my Japanese proficiency, I am currently taking classes in my home country and I am able to have everyday conversations, but my listening is much better. I don’t agree with my Japanese ability being ‘fair’, however. Do I still fill in ‘poor’ (no ability)? I am probably now around level N4.

My second question is regarding the extra languages you can fill in. I have two other languages I am fluent in, but that are not listed on the sheet. Do I only choose one to fill in for the ‘extra language’, or can I write both (this is what I prefer)? I cannot add an extra column unfortunately, so should I just write it down like ‘language 1, language 2’ and select ‘excellent’? As I am fluent in both?

And last, is it a good idea to send my cv with my application? As it gives much more information on my background and abilities? I did send it to the university, and got shortlisted, but is it a good idea to also send it to the ministry for the second round?

There’s no specific criteria for “fair” and “poor”, but if you’re at the N4 level, I’d personally go with Fair. “Poor,” to me, means that you can only say basic greetings, etc.

For filling in the alternate language, you could write “Language1 and Language2” if they’re both at the same level. This isn’t going to be a huge factor one way or another, but it does make you look more impressive! But at this stage of the application, haven’t you already submitted your application form?

You don’t need to send anything to the ministry for the second round – the university does that. They have a specific list of documents to send (including some that you submitted to the university and some that the university creates) and your CV is not part of that list.
You’re basically done at this point unless the university asks you for more materials or information!

Regarding submitting this form, I found it pretty confusing too at first. Even though I already filled in an application form for my university (university recommendation) and am selected as one of the candidates for the scholarship, they asked me to fill in this form now as the next step (this form will be sent to the ministry). The application that I had to fill in while applying was different from this one. Maybe the procedures differ with each university?

Now I understand a little better. I assume the form that you’re filling in this time is different from the one you sent in the first time around? That process could differ from university to university. Where I worked, we had applicants send in both the University and MEXT application forms at the same time at the very beginning, so that we didn’t have to ask them to resend it later.
(One year, though, MEXT changed the application form format on us after we’d already collected them, so we had to have applicants send them again anyway.)

If the university didn’t have you fill in the MEXT application form at first and they’re asking you to do it now, that sounds like a very good sign!
I hope to hear good news from you in the future.
-Travis from TranSenz

Thanks for everything until now. I will make sure to let you know if I got selected in the end!

Best,

hellohello

Hikaru2015年12月5日

Hi Travis,

Thank you for your detail guide. It gives me lots of useful information.

However, when I start type-writting into the application form, I notice that if field 6 (Field of specialization) is a little long and needs to go on in a second page, field 7 (Academic Background) will start in another page. Thus, page 2 contains only several lines and big white space.
So I want to ask is this intentional or not?

You’re not allowed to change the page structure of the form, so you should shorten your answer to Field 6 to fit in the space you’re given without continuing onto another page.
That field should just be long enough to explain the overview of what you’ve studied. You can go into a little more detail (if necessary) in the Field of Study and Research Program Plan, but you should focus only on how your past studies relate to your future study plans there.

If you think you have to make field 6 longer (you don’t) then you could write “see attachment” in field 6 and attach an extra sheet of paper. But the best solution is to shorten your answer. The size of the field should indicate the expected answer length.

i. If the certificate of health is written by the doctor instead of typing, will it accepted?
ii. I entered a pre-university programme (matriculation level) before entering university. How should I classified the education level for matriculation as it is a transition from secondary to tertiary education.

i. Yes, as far as I know, the Certificate of Health will be accepted if it is handwritten. (It is almost impossible to type on that form, anyway!). But please make sure the doctor writes neatly – something most doctors do not do very well – and in English. The certificate may not be accepted if the university cannot read it.

ii. Pre-university programmes are considered to be part of upper secondary education (high school). If you need to list both that programme and your high school, then you will need to attach an extra sheet using the method explained above.

If it was paid and full-time, go ahead and list it. (Mention that it was a “paid, full-time internship” in the duties section.
Work experience isn’t going to make or break your application, but if the experience is related to your research field, it could help prove your commitment!

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